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ASOS Medical Indemnity MeetingTue, 12 Dec 2000

That ASOS obtain independent actuarial advice as to the financial viability of all six major medical defence funds and report in writing no later than 15 February 2001.CARRIED

That ASOS write to the relevant state minister for health seeking a meeting to discuss the impact of increasing medical defence premiums on the provision of orthopaedic services to public hospitals particularly but not exclusively in rural areas.CARRIED

That UMP be written to and asked to explain why the following groups are exempt from the call:

Members, who are, prior to renewal in 2001, employer indemnified and have no private practice

All ordinary members who have joined UNITED on or after 1 July 1999, except for those members who have transferred from MDU (UK)

All dental members

All members residing and practising in Singapore

South Australian Health Commission Scheme members

CARRIED

That UMP be called on to supply ASOS with a break up of orthopaedic claims (including workers compensation and motor vehicle accident compensable patients) over the last five years. That UMP provide information as to whether these claims were made by public patients, private patients or patients treated in public hospitals as public but seen in private doctors rooms (semi-public).CARRIED

That this meeting expresses its lack of confidence in the current Board of United Medical Protection Limited with regard to its handling of the recent call on members.CARRIED

We, the undersigned, being paid up members of United Medical Protection, hereby call for an extraordinary general meeting of the company to consider the following motion: "That the Chairman of UMP be removed"NOT CARRIED

That in order to ensure a fairer, quicker and less expensive handling of medical indemnity cases, this meeting calls on Federal and State Governments to:

establish a Tribunal System to deal with such cases

change taxation laws to allow structured settlements, and,

introduce other Tort Law Reform initiatives as a matter of urgency to alleviate the current crisis in medical litigation

CARRIED

That UMP be informed that ASOS objects to any cross-subsidisation of any other medical group and wants any current cross-subsidisation reviewed forthwith.CARRIED

That doctors who obtain cover from sources outside UMP for their public work (including cover obtained from the NSW Treasury Managed Fund), have their medical defence premiums reduced accordingly from the period when cover was obtained.CARRIED

That members be advised that they should review the financial viability of both public and private orthopaedic surgery and ensure that they obtain expert advice in order to meet their future financial obligations as sole traders, partners and Company directors.CARRIED

That the NSW government be asked to indemnify the costs of all public orthopaedic surgery in NSW public hospitals in addition to any other form of indemnification.CARRIED